A year of Good Buys

January 2013: Disk Ripper from John Deere

The latest tillage implement from John Deere is the new 2720 Disk Ripper with a disk-ripper-disk configuration. This heavy-duty primary tillage tool will size and bury crop residue, penetrate and shatter compacted soils, and mix and level the soil. Read more:

February 2013: Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4

Nicholas Hofstad of Montevideo, Minn., this year decided to trade his seven-year-old Dodge Ram pickup for a 2012 Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4. The 365-hp pickup is getting a lot of play for its unique 3.5-liter, V6 twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine, which Hofstad says provides more horsepower and torque than his old V8 pickup, while getting up to 21 mpg. Read more:

March 2013: Cordless cut-off tool from Hilti

Hilti has launched the world’s first cordless cut-off tool with a brushless motor. The tool can cut or grind just about any type of metal. The new cut-off tool was put to the test by a farmer for Farm Industry News. Read more:

April 2013: Welder/generator/air compressor unit from Thunder Creek

Turn your pickup into a full-service vehicle with the new portable welder/generator/air compressor unit from Thunder Creek Equipment, Pella, Iowa. The compact Air N Arc 150 may be installed on a truck or other trailer platform or service unit. Read more:

May 2013: Big Baler from Freeman

The Freeman model 1592D Big Baler, which cuts and bales at the same time, is redesigned for 25% greater capacity. It can package up to 45 tons per hour. The hydraulic drive feed system is reversible from the tractor seat, saving hours of hand work unplugging the baler. Read more:

August 2013: Utility tractor line revamp from John Deere

The new 5E Series Tractor line from John Deere now includes the new 85 and 100 horsepower 4-cylinder tractors, which replace the previous 83, 93 and 101 hpr models, and four 3-cylinder models ranging for 45 to 75 hp. Read more:

September 2013: New baler from New Holland

New Holland’s newest baler now has an option for handling more than just hay. The Roll-Belt 560 features a specialty crop option with the company’s new ActiveSweep 82 in. tine-to-tine width pickup, which allows for baling crop residues beyond the normal dry hay and straw, like corn stalks and heavier grasses. Read more:

October 2013: Tool for churning lagoons from Nuhn

Livestock lagoons keep getting bigger, and maximizing nutrients from those pits means churning up contents to get all you can for farm fields. Nuhn Industries Ltd., an innovator in manure management tools, brought an interesting machine to the Farm Progress Show. The Lagoon Crawler, a remote-control machine powered by a 160-hp Cummins 4-cylinder engine, is designed to drive right onto the pond. Read more:

November 2013: Skid steer loaders from Mustang

In early October, Mustang launched its next generation of vertical-lift skid-steer loaders to the public, just in time for fall and winter farm chores that require heavy lifting, dumping and hauling. The two models in the new line are the 2700V NXT2 and the 3300V NXT2, which both feature 72-hp, Tier 4-compliant Yanmar diesel engines. Read more:

December 2013: Grain Moisture Tester from John Deere

John Deere has launched a new product for testing grain moisture on the go. Whether it’s used during harvest or after the crop is in storage, the hand-held GT-3000 Grain Moisture Tester can monitor the moisture and weight of 20 different types of grain. Read more:

In every issue of Farm Industry News, the last page of the magazine is devoted to one “Good Buy” product. The staff selects a new product on the market that we think is a good buy based on that time of year and the innovation behind the product. This year, we featured quite the variety of products, from a new Ford pickup to a grain moisture tester. Browse through all of this year’s “good buys” and let us know which product you’d buy in the comments below.